Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The Betty Crocker Project : The Vegan Chicken Pot Pies

There is a funny thing that happens on the first day of February. The Valentine's Day clock starts ticking... from the first day, you have literally 2 weeks (14 days) to come up with a wonderful way to show your nearest and dearest how much you love them. Now I'm not just talking about buying presents, because sometimes it's the little things that matter. And if you're like me, it's really the thought that counts more than anything.

Exhibit A: The Chicken-Free Pot Pie. This is one of the first dinners I made for Dan when we first moved into together, and it's remained one of his favorites. [Ed. note: my absolute favorite] Whenever I make this dinner, it takes us back to when we were still pretty new to this whole "being more than friends" thing, and had that new love rush*. Ever combine a little romantic nostalgia with a solid "love of your life" situation? It's pretty great. I recommend it. This recipe is our Chicken Pot Pie, with a take on Betty's Pie Crust Recipe that is the result of some experimenting, but I think this final recipe turned out kinda lovely.

But if you're not sold on baking your sweetheart a pot pie for Valentine's Day, we're going to try to post some suggestions between now and then to help you bring the shock and awe this year. This brings us to...

2/3 Cups & 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Shortening (we made one version with the Crisco Vegetable Shortening and it was much heavier and crumblier than when we use the Spectrum Organic Shortening ; we recommend you use the Spectrum even though we are thrilled that Crisco has a vegan shortening)

4 - 6 Tablespoons Cold Water

In your beloved cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil and Liquid Smoke over a medium heat. Once the Oil is hot, cook Vegan Chicken in the skillet till it is a golden brown and has crispy edges. Then remove from heat and set aside the Vegan Chicken aside on a plate.

In the same skillet, make your Gravy. Toast the Flour, Nutritional Yeast and 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil until it starts to brown. Whisk in the Broth until there are no lumps. Stir in Braggs, Poultry Seasoning, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Garlic Powder, Celery Seed, Parsley and Black Pepper. Heat till it thickens and starts to boil.

Then stir Celery, Green Beans, Potatoes, Vegan Chicken, Peas and Carrots and turn the heat down to a simmer.

In a medium bowl, mix Flour and Salt. Cut the Shortening in and then use a pastry blender to mix. You want your Dough to become little clumps that look like small peas. Sprinkle in the Cold Water 1 Tablespoon at a time, and then use a large fork to mix. You just want the dough to be moist but not wet.

With your hands, roll the Dough into a ball inside the ball. On a floured surface, roll your Dough ball out with a floured roller. Try to keep the crust even. You don't want some areas to be thinner than others. Gently roll the flattened Dough up into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes. You want the Dough to be firm but still pliable so if it is crumbly when you remove it from the fridge. Press the cracks to fix any cracks and then let it warm a little till it is more pliable.

Then take your pie or casserole dishes and place them upside down on the crust to give you a guide to cut your crust. Be sure when you are cutting around the dishes - you leave an extra inch or 1/2 inch around the edges to seal the pies. Once each Crust top is cut, cut a small X or hole in the center. I used a mini heart-shaped cookie cutter.

Heat oven to 425.

Then fill your casserole dishes 3/4 of the way with the Vegan Chicken Gravy Mix and gently place the Crust on top. Gently press the Dough around the edges to seal the top. You can put a bit more Vegan Chicken Gravy Mix in the dishes if you're OK with some potential overflow.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. You'll want to pull them out of the oven once the edges are a golden brown. Let your pies cool for around 10 minutes and then serve with a side of Journey.

Mine is in the oven now and I'm very excited to taste it. We are only veganISH, so I made a few shortcuts: TJ's vegetable broth, pillsbury pie crusts, ghee instead of olive oil (because I'm a ghee freak). I didn't have green beans so I used leftover sweet corn that I had cut off the cob the other day after a meal. I also shortcut the potatoes by peeling and dicing and then microwaving for 2-3 minutes. This sped up the prep and made the dish a great weeknight meal.I did have to swap out of my beloved cast iron skillet due to size considerations. I made the roux in my beloved All-Clad dutch oven instead. But I will probably use my cast iron dutch oven next time. And there WILL be a next time. BC's pot pie recipe is the main one I use in my 30-year-old copy of her cookbook.Thank you!